In the late 1960s video technology became available outside the broadcast industry and artists were among the first to use
this unique new medium. The following chronology of early video art in the UK does not attempt to list all activity but is
a selection of key screenings, exhibitions and related events from 1971 to the early 1990s.

1971

TV INTERRUPTIONS, SCOTTISH TELEVISION
Ten works by David Hall, commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council for the Edinburgh Festival, were transmitted by Scottish
Television unannounced without credit over a ten day period (a selection was later distributed as 7 TV Pieces). These were
the first artist interventions on British television and have come to be regarded as a formative moment in British video art.

ONE, ANGELA FLOWERS GALLERY, LONDON
Exhibit by Ian Breakwell and Mike Leggett. Images of labourers shovelling earth in a circle relayed live to a video monitor
in the gallery window often confused passers-by who had watched Apollo 14 astronaut activities on the moon broadcast on TV
the same day.

1972

A SURVEY OF THE AVANT-GARDE IN BRITAIN, GALLERY HOUSE, LONDON
Exhibition of objects, performances, films, conceptual works etc., included the first showing of a multi-screen video
art installation in Britain: 60 TV Sets by David Hall in collaboration with Tony Sinden. The TV sets were tuned or mis-tuned
to broadcast signals, and all parameters of picture quality were variously utilised. This was an important precursor of British
multi-channel video installation work.

TIME BASED MEDIA, MAIDSTONE COLLEGE OF ART
The first video provision in the UK for fine art undergraduates and outside artists was established by David Hall as the
Time Based Media workshop, Maidstone College of Art (now University for the Creative Arts). Later a number of video artists
were awarded working fellowships in the college with the aid of Arts Council bursaries.

1973

ART WITHOUT OBJECTS, TATE GALLERY, LONDON
As part of a series of lectures on Land Art, Conceptual Art, films by artists etc, Mick Hartney introduced the first screenings
at the Tate of artists video, including performance recordings of Joseph Beuys and Gilbert & George.

OPEN CIRCUIT, SCOTTISH ARTS COUNCIL GALLERY, EDINBURGH
Exhibition of video, photography and film, included an ongoing performance installation by David Hall using video equipment.

ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN FUNDING
The Artists Films Committee of the Arts Council of Great Britain made its first award for experimental video. This became
the Artists Film and Video Committee in April 1979.

1974

FIFTH EXPERIMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL, KNOKKE-HEIST, BELGIUM
First Knokke-Heist international festival to include videotapes and video installations with works by Nam June Paik, Peter
Campus, The Vasulkas, Peter Weibel, Jean-Paul Boyer. Britain represented by David Hall.

FANTASY FACTORY
John Hopkins and Sue Hall set up Fantasy Factory, an independent video editing resource created to facilitate access for
community groups, community arts projects and artists.

1975

THE VIDEO SHOW, SERPENTINE GALLERY, LONDON
First international video show in Britain organised by Peter Bloch, Sue Grayson, David Hall, Stuart Hood and Clive Scollay
featuring installations, performances and single screen works by British artists Roger Barnard, David Hall, Tamara Krikorian,
Brian Hoey, Steve Partridge, Stuart Marshall, Alex Meigh, Liz Rhodes, Reindeer Werk, Steve James, Mike Leggett, Peter Livingstone,
David Critchley, Tony Sinden and others. After the show a selection of British work toured several UK galleries.

2B BUTLERS WHARF, LONDON
A group of artists, including David Critchley, Kevin Atherton, Alison Winkle and several others, set up a collectively
run gallery space presenting video, film and performance work on a regular basis until its closure in 1979.

BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE FUNDING
After partially funding the setting up of Fantasy Factory in 1974, the BFI funded video art work for the first time, namely
Circling, Teeming and Dawn Creation by Peter Donebauer.

LONDON VIDEO ARTS FOUNDED
Organisation formed by artists for the promotion, distribution and exhibition of video art. Initiated by David Hall, the
founding committee included Roger Barnard, David Critchley, David Hall, Brian Hoey, Tamara Krikorian, Peter Livingstone, Stuart
Marshall, Steve Partridge and Jonnie Turpie. (Renamed London Video Access in 1988, and later London Electronic Arts, it is
now merged with London Filmmakers Coop under the title of LUX).

VIDEO ART, 'ARENA' SERIES SPECIAL, BBC TV
First arts feature devoted to video art broadcast by British TV. Programme conceived by Anna Ridley, produced by Mark
Kidel and presented by David Hall included tapes by British and American artists Peter Campus, Ed Emschwiller and Peter Donebauer.
It opened, unannounced, with the specially commissioned This is a Television Receiver by David Hall featuring newsreader Richard
Baker.

VIDEO ART, STUDIO INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
Publication of a special international video art issue, May/June 1976. Co-edited by Richard Cork and David Hall with articles
on British work by, among others, Sue Hall and John Hopkins, David Hall, Mark Kidel and Stuart Marshall.

LONDON VIDEO ARTS OPENING EXHIBITION, AIR GALLERY, LONDON
First screening of a selection of international tapes to launch LVAs first distribution catalogue. From 1979 shows were
also held at the Acme Gallery, Covent Garden, London.

LONDON VIDEO ARTS CATALOGUE
Publication of the first distribution catalogue of tapes and installations by British and international artists.

VIDEO '79: THE FIRST DECADE, MUSEUM OF FOLKLORE, ROME
International tape exhibition included British work from David Critchley, David Hall, Sue Hall and John Hopkins, Stuart
Marshall, Marceline Mori and Steve Partridge.

STUDY IN BLUE, THE KITCHEN, NEW YORK
Four channel video installation by Steve Partridge.

VIDEOTAPES BY BRITISH ARTISTS, THE KITCHEN, NEW YORK
Selected by Steve Partridge. Works by Peter Anderson, David Critchley, David Hall, Mick Hartney, Stuart Marshall, Marceline
Mori, Brian Hoey, Tamara Krikorian and Chris Rushton.

ARTISTS VIDEO: AN ALTERNATIVE USE OF THE MEDIUM, BIDDICK FARM ARTS CENTRE, WASHINGTON, TYNE AND WEAR.
International tape exhibition organised by Brian Hoey and Wendy Brown included works by David Critchley, Peter Donebauer,
Sue Hall and John Hopkins, Stuart Marshall, Alex Meigh and Steve Partridge.

BRITISH VIDEO ART IN CANADA, CANADIAN TOUR
Selection of British videotapes presented by David Hall in Toronto, Halifax and Queens University, Kingston, Ontario where
he delivered a paper on British work to an international video art symposium.

VIDEO AND MUSIC PERFORMANCES, BIDDICK FARM ARTS CENTRE, WASHINGTON, TYNE AND WEAR
First European live performances of musicians and video artists in concert improvising in sound and on screen. Co-ordinated
and produced by Peter Donebauer. Further performances were staged at the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham and Londons ICA in 1980.

VIDEO ARTISTS ON TOUR, ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN
Set up to extend the Film-makers On Tour scheme and to promote the showing of artists video, The ACGB met the partial
costs of artists presenting a programme of their works. The scheme ended in 1986.

A SITUATION ENVISAGED: THE RITE, SOUTH HILL PARK ARTS CENTRE, BRACKNELL
Video installation by David Hall.

1981

FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT VIDEO, SOUTH HILL PARK ARTS CENTRE, BRACKNELL
The first national festival of independent video which continued until 1988. Screenings of artists' and community tapes.

VIDEO INSTALLATIONS, LVA AT THE AIR GALLERY, LONDON
Installations by Tony Sinden, Charlie Hooker, Dov Eylath and others.

DISPLAY-DISPLACED, IKON GALLERY, BIRMINGHAM
Retrospective of videotapes and installations by Steve Partridge, alongside the newly commissioned Display-Displaced and
the first UK showing of Study in Blue (1979).

ARNOLFINI GALLERY, BRISTOL AND THE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LONDON
The Arnolfini set up a library of video art and other independent work to facilitate public access (but was to close down
in the late 1980s). Other arts centres followed suit, including the London ICA which opened a library in 1982.

CHANNEL 4 TV
The fourth television channel went on the air with a charter to encourage independent production.

THE WORKSHOP DECLARATION
Agreement made between the TV technicians union ACTT and Channel 4 TV allowing the establishment of franchised workshops
to make film and video productions for broadcast outside usual union agreements.

FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT VIDEO, SOUTH HILL PARK, BRACKNELL
Annual festival of video art and community video.

INDEPENDENT VIDEO
Magazine first published (later Independent Media) out of the video workshop (later Media Centre) at South Hill Park Arts
Centre, Bracknell.

VIDZINE
Pilot edition of VHS magazine produced by Patrick Martin and Dov Eylath exploring the now fashion conscious cross-over
between music video and video art.

ACCESS FUNDING, CHANNEL 4 TV
Channel 4 made its first investment in access video workshops, including LVA, providing the first widespread access to
video post-production facilities.

VIDEO ART: A HISTORY, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK
Documentation of the history of video art included work by David Hall and Tamara Krikorian.

FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT VIDEO, SOUTH HILL PARK, BRACKNELL
Annual festival of artists' and community video.

FILM AND VIDEO UMBRELLA
Organisation founded by Michael OPray to tour specially compiled programmes of film and video to cinemas, galleries and
other venues. A first initiative was to find regional venues for a programme originally curated by Stuart Marshall for The
Kitchen, New York earlier in the year.

CROSS CURRENTS: 10 YEARS OF MIXED MEDIA, ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART, LONDON
Organised by Chrissie Isles, Catherine Elwes and Peter Kardia and included installations by Tina Keane, Rose Finn-Kelcey,
Stuart Marshall, Catherine Elwes and others.

ARTISTS WORKS FOR TELEVISION, CHANNEL 4 TV
Artists works for TV produced by Anna Ridley including Continuous Diary by Ian Breakwell (a series of 21) and work by
Rosemary Butcher, David Cunningham, Rose Garrard, John Latham, Stephen Partridge, Michael Nyman and Paul Richards. These were
transmitted at various times rather than being promoted as an arts package.

THE BRITISH ART SHOW, ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN NATIONAL TOURING SHOW
Installation by Kevin Atherton, videotapes by Mick Hartney, Rose Finn-Kelcey, Sandra Goldbacher and others.

LONDON FILM FESTIVAL, NATIONAL FIM THEATRE, LONDON
Video art shown for the first time in the form of a Scratch Video compilation curated by Michael OPray including works
by George Barber, Jon Dovey and Tim Morrison, the Duvet Brothers, Sandra Goldbacher and Kim Flitcroft, Geoffrey Hinton, John
Maybury and John Scarlett-Davis.

NETWORK 21
Pirate TV station started transmitting at midnight March 21-22 from locations in South London. Organisers are associated
with The Fridge in Brixton and programme content emphasised gay/art/fashion/underground interests. Contributors included George
Barber, Derek Jarman, John Maybury, Genesis P. Orridge et al. Broadcasts continued for about six months.

CHANNEL 6, LVA / ICA, LONDON / BRACKNELL VIDEO FESTIVAL / LONDON FILMMAKERS CO-OP
Screenings of new British and international videotapes plus retrospective survey of British video art selected by Tamara
Krikorian.

FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT VIDEO, SOUTH HILL PARK, BRACKNELL
Annual festival of artists' and community video.

GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE, CHANNEL 4 TV
Six part series produced by John Wyver featuring American video art.

1987

THE ELUSIVE SIGN: BRITISH AVANT-GARDE FILM AND VIDEO 1977-1987, TATE GALLERY, LONDON AND INTERNATIONAL TOUR
Organised by the Arts Council of Great Britain and the British Council. Selected by Michael OPray, Tamara Krikorian and
Catherine Lacey. Included video works by George Barber, Ian Bourn, Catherine Elwes, Sera Furneaux, Judith Goddard, David Hall,
Mona Hatoum, Steve Hawley, Tamara Krikorian, David Larcher, Jayne Parker, Christopher Rowland, Mark Wilcox and Graham Young.

NATIONAL REVIEW OF LIVE ART, RIVERSIDE STUDIOS, LONDON
Organised by Steve Littman. Installations by Mike Stubbs, Mike Jones and Simon Robertshaw, Lei Cox and Catherine Elwes.

MYSTERIOUS LONDON SCANNERS, FUKUOKA ART MUSEUM, JAPAN
Programmes from LVA included recent work by younger British video makers.

FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT VIDEO, SOUTH HILL PARK, BRACKNELL
Annual festival of artists' and community video.

GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE, CHANNEL 4 TV
Second series of the video art showcase produced by John Wyver included commissioned work from British artists Terry Flaxton,
Akiko Hada, Tony Hill, George Snow and Graham Young.

KALEIDOSCOPE / ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME, ICA, LONDON
Video installation by Mineo Aayamaguchi and looping videotape by Graham Young.

VIDEO AT THE LONDON FILM FESTIVAL, MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, LONDON
Seven video programmes were screened at the festival including Electric Eyes curated by Jeremy Welsh providing a summary
of trends in British video art at the end of the 1980s.

THE 11th HOUR, CHANNEL 4 TV AND THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN
A new collaborative scheme was launched for commissioning experimental film and video. Renamed Experimenta in 1992, the
scheme ran until 1994.

FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT VIDEO, SOUTH HILL PARK, BRACKNELL
Annual festival of artists' and community video.

THE ARTISTS ON SPECTACOLOUR, PICCADILLY CIRCUS, LONDON
Work on the large Spectacolour display in Piccadilly Crcus by Jeremy Welsh, Tina Keane and Vera Frenkel.

THE NATIONAL REVIEW OF LIVE ART, THIRD EYE CENTRE, GLASGOW
Organised by Steve Partridge. Installations by Mineo Aayamaguchi, Paul Green and Jeremy Welsh.

ELECTRONIC IMAGINARIES, ICA CINEMATHEQUE, LONDON
British Council funded touring programme of new British video work curated by Michael Maziere of London Video Arts.

ELECTRIC EYES, FILM AND VIDEO UMBRELLA TOURING SHOW
Package of British videotapes from 1986-88 included Catherine Elwes, Mona Hatoum, Graham Young, John Goff, Liz Power,
Judith Goddard, Tina Keane, David Finch and David Larcher.

19:4:90 TELEVISION INTERVENTIONS, CHANNEL 4 TV
Produced by Anna Ridley and Jane Rigby. Inspired by the 1971 TV Interruptions by David Hall. Short works commissioned
for TV by among others Rose Garrard, David Hall, Steve Littman, David Mach, Bruce McClean, Pictorial Heroes, Steve Partridge,
Alistair MacLennan and Ron Geesin. Four of David Hall's original 1971 pieces were also transmitted. Exhibitions of the work
were later staged at the Third Eye Centre Glasgow and the Ikon Gallery Birmingham.

EDGE 90, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
International biennial of performance, installation and video.

LONDON FILM FESTIVAL, MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, LONDON
An enlarged video section, The Electronic Image, curated by Jeremy Welsh and Michael Maziere with twelve programmes of
international work.

ONE MINUTE TELEVISION, 'THE LATE SHOW', BBC TV.
One minute films and videotapes jointly commissioned by BBC2 and the Arts Council.

THE DAZZLING IMAGE, CHANNEL 4 TV
Produced by Jane Thorburn for the Eleventh Hour. Videotapes and films produced with Arts Council, British Film Institute
and Channel 4 funding included Sandra Lahire, Cerith Wyn Evans, Isaac Julien, Cordelia Swann, David Larcher and Graham Young.

VIDEO PORTRAITS, NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON
Marty St James and Anne Wilsons video portraits of Julie Walters, Duncan Goodhew and Sally Burgess were the gallerys first
video commissions/purchases in their permanent collection.

BIENNIAL OF INDEPENDENT FILM AND VIDEO, ICA, LONDON
Arts Council/British Council touring package of British films and videotapes curated by Tilda Swinton.

ONE MINUTE TELEVISION, 'THE LATE SHOW', BBC TV.
One minute films and videotapes jointly commissioned by BBC2 and the Arts Council.

NOT NECESSARILY, BBC TV SCOTLAND
Eight ten minute programmes included specially commissioned work by Doug Aubrey, Lei Cox, Judith Goddard and Kate Meynell
in a co-production between the BBC2 and the Television Workshop of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee.

ELECTRONIC IMAGE, LONDON FILM FESTIVAL, MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, LONDON
A further expanded video section with sixteen programmes curated by Michael Maziere and Stephen Bode.

THE ELECTRONIC IMAGE, NATIONAL FILM THEATRE, LONDON
LVA started a monthly video showcase at the NFT with thematic programmes and single artist presentations.

NEW VISIONS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FILM AND VIDEO, VARIOUS LOCATIONS, GLASGOW
Retrospective of films, videotapes and TV works by David Hall. Other work included an international selection of tapes
by British and overseas artists organised by Malcolm Dickson, Doug Aubrey and Events Space. This became a biennial event.

DAZZLING IMAGE II, CHANNEL 4 TV
Second series produced by Jane Thorburn included work by Louise Forshaw, Jayne Parker, Keith Piper, Andrew Stones and
Cordelia Swann.

ELECTRONIC IMAGE, LONDON FILM FESTIVAL, MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, LONDON
Major international video art section.

1993

TV INTERRUPTIONS 93, MTV NETWORKS.
Six works by David Hall commissioned and broadcast internationally by MTV.

THE LATE SHOW: THE HAPPENING HISTORY OF VIDEO ART, BBC TV
Transmission by BBC2 of special review of international video art including British work. Produced by Illuminations and
directed by George Barber.

One of the prime sources of this information was Diverse Practices: A Critical Reader on British Video Art, edited by
Julia Knight, published by The Arts Council of England and John Libbey Media, University of Luton, 1996.